Zambia six month Team

Blog 14^th April

Sunday

Tim, Natalie and Jo went to church at Kamfinsa where Jo gave a word of encouragement on trusting God, which amazingly was exactly what Pastor Albert had planned for his sermon. God is Good!

Jim and Jan were still in Kabwe under the hospitality of Kabwe Chapel. They were being treated as honoured guests while they enjoyed seeing how the work started by Jim’s parents had developed and grown.  They visited where Jim’s parents had lived and saw how the plot is still being used as a thriving Christian camp and conference centre.   In the evening they met the leaders of the Church who had known ‘The Fords’ and saw them as spiritual parents and friends. 

Monday

Team day off to catch up and rest.  Jim and Jan visited an orphanage supported by Jim’s mum before returning to Ndola.

Tuesday  

Natalie and Tim went to ‘hut to hut’ and visited with two sick people who they prayed with and gave words of encouragement. Pastor Albert also remains unwell so they stayed behind to pray with him too.

Jan, Jim and Jo visited a school for blind and visually impaired children where the team are going to be helping with the construction of a playground.  Afterwards they went on to St Anthony’s playing with the 2-5 year olds on the playground and then moved into the Cerebral Palsy Unit.  After lunch Lene’s lecture on the Hebrew words for Praise was once again excellent, giving us food for thought.

Wednesday

Jim and Tim went off early to Kamfinsa to help Pastor Albert get sand for some building work on the Teacher’s house.  They had to dig it out of a sandy pit by the side of the road, load it into the Hilux and take it back to Kamfinsa.  They got a slow puncture as a reward, with two nails being the main culprits.  Meanwhile Jan, Jo and Natalie cycled to farm fresh.  It was slightly easier work this week- watering the vegetables and pruning the tomatoes; maybe they took pity on the ladies!  Zenia once again cooked us a lovely lunch of spaghetti and tomato and egg sauce. Delicious!  In the afternoon Jim was left behind to sort out the puncture, while the rest of the team went to Isubilo where they had great fun teaching the children to count by playing giant snakes and ladders. In the evening we were invited for a meal at Emmanuel and Zenia’s house,(our neighbours) to help celebrate Dalitso’s (their son) 6^th birthday. The ladies of the team worked their arm muscles as Zenia showed them how to make tasty Nshima.

Thursday

Jim and Jo went off to Kamfinsa for cell group. Jo once again cleaned and dressed Fidis’ foot which has improved greatly, with far less pain. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray for quick healing for her. There were about 15 people at the cell group which was once again outside under the trees.  Jim spoke on stretching our faith, and afterwards Pastor Albert invited people to receive prayer if they have been struggling and 5 people came forward.

Jan and Natalie had their one-to-one time followed by the weekly shopping helped by Tim.  We arrived back to find Zesco (electricity company) bringing cable to the guest houses – our excitement was short lived as they didn’t finish the job and have to come back.  We keep on praying for our own supply.

In the afternoon Laurie came and gave us another useful session on LifeKeys, this time focussed on what we value most. Then in the evening we had our last Bible study on Ephesians covering the Armour of God, which was led by Jan and finished with a good time of prayer and worship.

Friday

The team left slightly earlier than normal to get to Lifeline for 8:15am as they were visiting a new rural area. They visited 2 villages where the children and babies were monitored and weighed.  The team kept the children amused while they waited to be seen, by playing football, blowing bubbles and face painting - the children loved their flowers, butterflies and hearts.  In the evening Jo, Natalie and Tim went to Hettie’s for a meal with some other young people.

Saturday

In the morning, Isubilo’s netball team played 2 matches against a visiting team. We cheered them on and Tim did some umpiring. They lost the first but won the second game, to many shouts and cheers.  The Youth Forum afterwards was led by Michael (Lusaka University Student) on the topic of equality.  He challenged the boys and girls to speak out for the voiceless, especially for the girls to be treated properly and with respect as generally domestic abuse is culturally acceptable. It was Hettie’s last weekend session with Isubilo before she leaves for South Africa next Thursday!

The Twins, Esneya and Malesi , (who we have come to know from Farm Fresh and Isubilo) came back for lunch with us as they wanted to visit St Anthony’s.  We had a quick lunch of beans on toast (they were amused by this English posh nosh) before going to St Anthony’s.  Jim and Tim played football with the lads, Jan went to play with children in the Cerebral Palsy unit and the rest went to play with the babies.  In the evening Marcie, Bill and Aden came for a BBQ – in true English style the clouds came in and we had a few spots of rain, but the food was good and the company great.

Prayer Points

·       Fred (our Trustee’s) safe arrival on Tuesday and for a productive visit

·       Pastor Albert’s health

·       Kamfinsa Teacher’s House Project that it will be completed on time

·       Fidis’ foot continues to heal quickly

·       Someone to oversee and guide the playground project for the blind school

·       Hettie’s last few days with Isubilo- although it will be a sad goodbye for her, she knows it is God’s plan to return home at this time- when we next blog she will be in South Africa praying on her next step.

Blog 14^th April

Sunday

Tim, Natalie and Jo went to church at Kamfinsa where Jo gave a word of encouragement on trusting God, which amazingly was exactly what Pastor Albert had planned for his sermon. God is Good!

Jim and Jan were still in Kabwe under the hospitality of Kabwe Chapel. They were being treated as honoured guests while they enjoyed seeing how the work started by Jim’s parents had developed and grown.  They visited where Jim’s parents had lived and saw how the plot is still being used as a thriving Christian camp and conference centre.   In the evening they met the leaders of the Church who had known ‘The Fords’ and saw them as spiritual parents and friends. 

Monday

Team day off to catch up and rest.  Jim and Jan visited an orphanage supported by Jim’s mum before returning to Ndola.

Tuesday  

Natalie and Tim went to ‘hut to hut’ and visited with two sick people who they prayed with and gave words of encouragement. Pastor Albert also remains unwell so they stayed behind to pray with him too.

Jan, Jim and Jo visited a school for blind and visually impaired children where the team are going to be helping with the construction of a playground.  Afterwards they went on to St Anthony’s playing with the 2-5 year olds on the playground and then moved into the Cerebral Palsy Unit.  After lunch Lene’s lecture on the Hebrew words for Praise was once again excellent, giving us food for thought.

Wednesday

Jim and Tim went off early to Kamfinsa to help Pastor Albert get sand for some building work on the Teacher’s house.  They had to dig it out of a sandy pit by the side of the road, load it into the Hilux and take it back to Kamfinsa.  They got a slow puncture as a reward, with two nails being the main culprits.  Meanwhile Jan, Jo and Natalie cycled to farm fresh.  It was slightly easier work this week- watering the vegetables and pruning the tomatoes; maybe they took pity on the ladies!  Zenia once again cooked us a lovely lunch of spaghetti and tomato and egg sauce. Delicious!  In the afternoon Jim was left behind to sort out the puncture, while the rest of the team went to Isubilo where they had great fun teaching the children to count by playing giant snakes and ladders. In the evening we were invited for a meal at Emmanuel and Zenia’s house,(our neighbours) to help celebrate Dalitso’s (their son) 6^th birthday. The ladies of the team worked their arm muscles as Zenia showed them how to make tasty Nshima.

Thursday

Jim and Jo went off to Kamfinsa for cell group. Jo once again cleaned and dressed Fidis’ foot which has improved greatly, with far less pain. Praise the Lord! Please continue to pray for quick healing for her. There were about 15 people at the cell group which was once again outside under the trees.  Jim spoke on stretching our faith, and afterwards Pastor Albert invited people to receive prayer if they have been struggling and 5 people came forward.

Jan and Natalie had their one-to-one time followed by the weekly shopping helped by Tim.  We arrived back to find Zesco (electricity company) bringing cable to the guest houses – our excitement was short lived as they didn’t finish the job and have to come back.  We keep on praying for our own supply.

In the afternoon Laurie came and gave us another useful session on LifeKeys, this time focussed on what we value most. Then in the evening we had our last Bible study on Ephesians covering the Armour of God, which was led by Jan and finished with a good time of prayer and worship.

Friday

The team left slightly earlier than normal to get to Lifeline for 8:15am as they were visiting a new rural area. They visited 2 villages where the children and babies were monitored and weighed.  The team kept the children amused while they waited to be seen, by playing football, blowing bubbles and face painting - the children loved their flowers, butterflies and hearts.  In the evening Jo, Natalie and Tim went to Hettie’s for a meal with some other young people.

Saturday

In the morning, Isubilo’s netball team played 2 matches against a visiting team. We cheered them on and Tim did some umpiring. They lost the first but won the second game, to many shouts and cheers.  The Youth Forum afterwards was led by Michael (Lusaka University Student) on the topic of equality.  He challenged the boys and girls to speak out for the voiceless, especially for the girls to be treated properly and with respect as generally domestic abuse is culturally acceptable. It was Hettie’s last weekend session with Isubilo before she leaves for South Africa next Thursday!

The Twins, Esneya and Malesi , (who we have come to know from Farm Fresh and Isubilo) came back for lunch with us as they wanted to visit St Anthony’s.  We had a quick lunch of beans on toast (they were amused by this English posh nosh) before going to St Anthony’s.  Jim and Tim played football with the lads, Jan went to play with children in the Cerebral Palsy unit and the rest went to play with the babies.  In the evening Marcie, Bill and Aden came for a BBQ – in true English style the clouds came in and we had a few spots of rain, but the food was good and the company great.

Prayer Points

·       Fred (our Trustee’s) safe arrival on Tuesday and for a productive visit

·       Pastor Albert’s health

·       Kamfinsa Teacher’s House Project that it will be completed on time

·       Fidis’ foot continues to heal quickly

·       Someone to oversee and guide the playground project for the blind school

·       Hettie’s last few days with Isubilo- although it will be a sad goodbye for her, she knows it is God’s plan to return home at this time- when we next blog she will be in South Africa praying on her next step.

So we’ve been back from India for a couple of days now and we’ve been looking back on what was a fantastic trip where we were able to achieve a great deal. Here’s a summary of what we did…

        In Mumbai we were able to spend the evening worshipping with a ministering to a group of migrant Christian construction workers being paid about £1.20 a day to work in unbearable conditions.

·         Through our project money, we were able to pay for 80 of them to have a time of fellowship and a feast to celebrate Easter together.

·         We also took a group of 11 rescued street children living in a Life Association home to a pizza restaurant for the evening. It was great to see these kids, who had endured so much in their young lives, enjoying their food and having fun!

·         In the Life Association school and children’s home in the village of Gopavuragudem near Gannavaram, we were able to use the project money to arrange the replacement of all the worn and sometimes broken plastic classroom chairs with purpose built steel framed benches.

·         Project money will also provide cupboards for each of the classrooms to protect the textbooks and workbooks.

·         Fans will also be fitted in the classrooms so that the children can work in a more comfortable environment during the hot afternoons.

·         We also repainted all the classroom tables and renovated the playground as part of the practical element of our trip.

·         The team also took out nearly 35 kilos of books, classroom resources, art/craft materials and toys. These were put to great use between the schools at Gannavaram and Machilipatnam, the home in Mumbai and a new Life Association project working with disabled children in the southern city of Madurai.   

·         There were also many opportunities for ministry which all members of the team engaged in…

·         We lead worship and preached at the Life Church located in the school compound, and the team lead the ‘7 words from the cross’ service on Good Friday.

·         We preached to and worshipped with the local Pentecostal church in Gopavuragudem too.

·         We led a time of worship and preached to the community in the village of Gopavuragudem and also the nearby slum village of Gudivada. We took lollipops for all the children in Gudivada and to the other Life Association school in Machilipatnam.

·         We spent a day in Machilipatnam. The men in the team spent the time in the school with the children, teaching them songs and playing with them.

·         Whilst this was happening, the ladies in the team ran a special service for the ladies in the village, who spend all day at home alone whilst the men are out working in the fields. The ladies came back very encouraged, with powerful stories of testimony.      

·         We were also able to spend time each day praying for the school and the ministry by ‘prayer walking’ around the compound.  

·         Throughout our time at the school we also did a lot of work with the children, leading them in worship, hearing them read, doing craft activities, playing games, face painting and even having a giant water fight where the team dropped water bombs from the top floor of the school onto the playground!

·         Before we left, we were able to present 45 children at the school with a Kinder Egg to celebrate Easter.

The trip really lived up to the SoapBox motto, ‘Making a world of difference’. By the grace of God and in the power of His Holy Spirit, we were able to see our prayers that we would be vessels of grace and love well and truly answered. The huge privilege of bringing the joy of our Lord Jesus into some very dark and oppressed situations was a true blessing to each one of us.   

Thanks to all those who supported us during our time away, and in particular to Shaun & Kathy from SoapBox for organising and facilitating an excellent trip.